Cross-tie for railways.



J. A. ATWOOD.

GROSS TIE FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2?,1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

"un HH HHI I HHH u n UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN A. ATWOOD, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA. GROSS-TIE FOR BAILWAYS.

No. 909,359. s ecification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 12, 1999.Application filed May 21, mos. Serial No. 0.35.227. g 1

10 all whom it may concern:

c it known that I, JOHN A. ATWOOD, residin at Beaver, in the county ofBeaver and tate of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, haveinvented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in TCross-Ties for Railways, of which improvements the following is aspecification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements incross-ties .for railways, and has for its object a construction whereinthe desirable features of a metallic tie are attained and thedifficulties of eifecting and maintaining the insulation of the railsrelative to each other are overcome.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of my improved cross-tie, showing rails securedthereto; Fig. 2 is a top lan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1; andFig. 3 is an end elevation.

My improved,cross-tie consists of two metallic sections 1 and 1 of aninverted U-shape in cross-section. Each of these sections is made ofsuch a length, less than half the total length of the tie, as to affordan efficient transverse foundation for the rail to prevent any upsettingmovement. These sections are tied together longitudinally by fillinpieces 2 formed of insulating material suc as wood, concrete, etc. Thesefilling or connectin pieces extend into and preferably throu the metalsections 1 and 1". When the ing or connecting sections are formedreferred to strengthen them longitudinall y tie rods 4 which may extendthe entire ength of the tie.

In addition to tying the metal sections togather, the filling serves togive an efiicient caring surface on the underside of the tie, to holdthe same as against longitudinal movement. In order to prevent anyspreading of the sides of the metallic sections, such sides are held inosition by transverse rivets 5 or other suitable means.

It will be bserved that the metallic sections not only inclose andprotect the filling of concrete, it is portion by which they areelectrically in-' sulated irom each other but they also form ancli'cient support for the rails, and that the rail se uring deviceswhich may be of any suitable construction are attached to these metallicsections.

} As will be readily understood by those .entirel as a connectin til;the re g ,trically insulate the sections one skilled in the art arailway tie may be considered as consisting of three parts or members,to-wit, the end portions forming collectively vabout two thirds of theentire tie and the intermediate or connecting portion. he main functionof the tie firm'foundation or sup ort for the rail and this can be hadby in endent sections or blocks for each rail, eac section beingproximately one third of the entire length of the tie now employed. Theportion of hhe tie now used, intermediate .of the foundation orsupporting-portions, serves mainly if not member to maintain the-rguired distance apart. As regards its function of supporting the rail,the tie need not extend more than eighteen or twenty inches on side ofthe rail. The gage of the rails can be maintained by rods secured to therails themselves or to the foundation sections. But for convenience andin order to avoid multi licity of arts, it is preferred that the founation an connecting member should be formed as an inte ral structure.

t is characteristic of the invention described herein that the metalshells 1 and 1 are made of such a size and shape as to afiord in and ofthemselves a suflicient support for the rails. In ractive the sectionswould have a length not 1523s than half the standard gage or thedistance between the rails to be supported and a width a proximatelyequal to one-fourth of the lengt 1 of such sections. The main purpose ofthe concrete portion 2 is to maintain the rails at a proper gage andelecfrom another. This concrete portion is molded into the sections andwill firmly adhere to the inner walls of the sections so as to ti htlytie them in proper relation one to the ot er.

I claim herein as my invention: 4 1. In the combination of two metallicsections, each having a length not less than half the standard ga e ordistance between the rails of the tradlr and having .1 Widthapproximately equal to one-fourth of the length of the sections, wherebyeach section will form when embedded in ballast a sufiicient support orfoundation for the rail secured thereto, and an intermediate sectionformed of insulating material molded into the metallic sections, andthereby serving to hold the me allic sections connected by suchinsulating section from movement relative to each other.

is to afford a section will form 2. The combination of two metallicsections each having a len th not less than half the standard age ordistance between rails of a track and aving'a width ap roximatelK equalto one-fourthits length, w ereb eac when embedded in allast a sufiicientsupport and foundation for the rail secured thereto, an intermediatesection formed of insulating material molded into the sections andadapted to hold such sections from longitudinal -movement relative toeach other, and means for securing that rails to the metallic supportingsections.

3. The combination of two metallic U- shaped sections, each having alength not less than half the standard gage'or ista'nce betweenrails ofa track and having a width set a proximately equal to one-fourth itslength W ereby each section will form when embedded in ballast asufficient support ori foundation for the rail secured. thereto and anintermediate section formed of insulatin material having its ends moldedinto an firmly enga ing the holding suc movement relative to each other.

4. The combination of two metallic U- shaped sections less than halfthestandard gage or distance, between rails of a track and havin aproximately equal to-one-fourth its length, w iereby bedded in ballast asuflicient support or foundation to the rails secured thereto, and abody'of in throng metallic sections 'and sections from longitudinal eachhaving a length of not a width each section will form when emconcretemolded into and extendh the metallic sections.

whereof, I have hereunto JOHN A. ATWOOD.

n testimony my hand.

7 Witnesses:

CHARLES BARNETT, J. HERBERT BRADLEY.

